Some Impossible Factor
by Abunai-ai
Summary: Tenten helps Neji to realize the difference between Fate and Destiny. Will she get through to him, or will her advice be lost on the cold ninja?


Some Impossible Factor

"_I would like to dedicate my first attempt at writing to my older brother who inspired me to try writing and follow my dreams." – author_

"_Men are not prisoners of Fate, but only prisoners of their own minds."_

_ Franklin Roosevelt_

Shadows played across the small, familiar clearing as the sun set into twilight coming; forming ominous figures on the ground and disfiguring the land. A rustling noise was the only warning before birds took flight from their perches in the Konoha tree line and into the darkening sky.

"Byakugan!"

'O_ne…two…three…four…five…' _

A young boy in his early teens smirked and leaned back against a branch in the old Aspen he had previously been sparring under. Lilac irises faded back to their usual, undiscriminating white and the prominent veins that always accompanied his technique receded to the cool, passive face that normally adorns the Nin. Movement caught the seemingly uncaring boy's attention. A russet colored bird squawked as it flew off to catch up with its family. One, thin eyebrow arched dangerously high over a surprised orb as the boy slowly relaxed back into the bark, his long dark hair swinging over his Jounin vest.

'_A sixth one'? 'That's…'_

A very unladylike snort ensued to the boy's left

" What Neji… That's what… impossible?"

Neji turned to the speaker slightly dismayed that she had read his mind (although he would never show it) until he realized he had made the speculation out loud. The girl shook her long auburn hair, which was normally kept in two buns for training purposes, over her shoulder and with an impatient huff blew her short bangs out of her chocolate colored eyes. From her position at his feet, she rolled from her stomach to her side so that she could see him properly and tucked one arm underneath her head. Then with a tone suggesting that this was not a new discussion, the spunky girl began again.

"I mean for someone with 360 degree vision and perfection to boot it is only a natural conclusion that there was some impossible factor that kept you from seeing the sixth bird correct?"

Her voice was anything but questioning and perhaps a little mocking as Neji looked at the Kunoichi over the various kunai knives and senbon needles sticking out haphazardly at strange angles in the trunk. Large craters and scarred wildlife were just some of the evidence left behind by the Kaiten and Twin Dragon attacks. His eyes met hers in the well known and all feared Hyuuga glare while his upper lip curled over his teeth slightly in what could best be described as the beginnings of a snarl.

"_Tenten…"_

Tenten, being one of the few people in Neji's life impervious to his signature "you had better desist now or I swear you will regret it" glare totally ignored his warning tone and instead began to absent mindedly fiddle with a shuriken as she continued.

"I mean with your Byakugan you see _everthing_, all the time, so there _can't possibly _be _any _room for mistakes whatsoever."

"_Tenten…" 'Damaru onna…' _(1)

"I mean it's not like you're a _ningen _(2because us being Shinobi automatically discounts that fact to the rest of the world, so _heaven forbid _you should ever try to act like a human and make a mistake…"

**"Tenten! Yameru!" **(3)

Neji's sharp exclamation made Tenten automatically bring her head up and follow his unbidden command to listen to him. Years of following under his leadership in their little threesome team had trained her to obey both he and Lee without question during battle within a moments notice. She met his reprimanding gaze unflinchingly ready to shoot a comeback to any statement he was about to say.

**_"Nani?" _**(4)

"Are you quite finished?"

Inquiring how dare he. _'Hidoi!' _(5)

She opened her mouth furiously to retort but he quickly cut her off.

"Tenten you know better than this. You know thatasfuture head of the Main House I'm not allowed the luxury of mistakes. I have no choice when it comes to the Hyuuga Clan and as such I am cursed to my Fate…"

At the word "Fate" Tenten's body went rigid she quickly jumped up to face the stoic, Hyuuga prodigy , her usually warm colored pupils now blackened with unsuccessfully suppressed rage.

**"DO…NOT…SAY…THAT WORD…IN…MY PRESENCE… EVER…AGAIN!"**

Neji regarded her calmly before quietly speaking.

"Sit down; your chakra levels have not fully recovered from my Heavenly spin technique I used on you earlier."

**"Aaaaaaarrrrrgggggghhh" "Neji no _baka!" _**(6)

Tenten screamed in frustration, simultaneously throwing herself on the ground cross legged and, with what seemed to be a casual flick, hurled one of her many sharp weaponry at her offender. She wasn't called the Weapons Mistress for nothing. Her aim was always 100 accurate. Unfortunately for her, his reflexes were always 100 faster. Neji caught the deadly implement before it made contact with his face, the only sign of movement being his index finger leaving its position on his lap to inside the small hole of the weapon. Tenten watched in an almost resigned fashion as it spiraled down his finger and then harmlessly into the pockmarked earth. Her vision wavered a little before she regained stability from moving too fast with low energy. Neji didn't miss her sign of weakness.

"Oi, daijobu?" (7)

"…ano…hai." (8)

She sighed, staring at his forehead protector emblazoned with the leaf of Konohagakure that marked him as a ninja of the village hidden in the leaf. She knew that if she lifted the steel band she would find a sea green "x" mirrored by two lines permanently tattooed upon his skin, having been there since birth. _'The curse mark, a mark that sets him apart from everyone in his clan, everyone in his village, one that imprisons like a caged bird…' _Tenten's thoughts, suddenly interrupted, screeched to a halt when Neji asked her relatively simple but in actuality difficult question.

"What do you believe in then?"

'_What did she…?' _Well, she believed in a lot of things. She believed in her Gai Sensei and how his guidance would help her become a great ninja (no matter how silly his good guy pose was). She believed in her teammates Lee and Neji…especially Neji, and how they would always support her through everything. Now that she thought about it, she believed in all of Rookie Nine and how they could be role models to other lands, representing their village with honor. And then it hit her. With a startling epiphany, Tenten understood what Neji needed to hear at that very moment with crisp certainty.

"I believe in Destiny."

Satisfied with the sureness of her conviction she watched him carefully for a reaction. Neji's lips set in a thin line, a habit he displayed whenever he was doubtful of something, and searched her eyes for a piece of information that would explain whatever he was uncertain about. Tenten suppressed the urge to shy away from his probing orbs. All these years and she still couldn't get used to his unnatural perceptivity to what she was thinking. She often forgot that he promised her he would never use the Byakugan to read her mind without her permission. Seeming unsatisfied with what he had figured out, Neji finally spoke again.

"You presume to be angry with me when I say I am bound by my fate, but then _you_ insist on Destiny? – Fate and Destiny are one and the same Tenten; your hypocrisy is not amusing."

She could not believe what she was hearing._ Her hypocrisy? _How could he sit there and in his cold, calculating voice call her a hypocrite when she sees him everyday putting on an emotionless mask in front of everyone around him? At first glance not caring, not feeling, not affected by any of the horrors or joys that life as a skilled Shinobi brings. This boy took the ninja code of never letting one's emotions get in the way to an all new level. Deep down she knew that Neji hated being the Main House's lap dog and not having the power to make his own decisions about his own life. For Kami's (9) sake, he was barely out of childhood and already forced to undertake the burdens of a man! '_And all for the sake of the people he loves…it's not fair…'_ Tenten was about to tell Neji exactly what she thought of "hypocrisy" and confront him on being so nonchalant when she looked past the mask he works so hard to build. Behind the stern, condescending expression was…_hope? _It was as if Tenten was seeing him clearly for the first time. Neji wasn't scolding her, he was daring to believe in her idea! His feeble feeling of hope of escaping his fate was battling his stronger fear of being let down… _again_. She took a deep breath, and then another. A kind smile spread across her face.

_"Neji."_

White met brown in surprise. _'Why wasn't she retaliating, could it really be true..?'_

"Destiny is not the same as Fate. Fate is something that cannot be changed. It is as unyielding and stubborn as…well as you Neji!"

The unpredictable girl laughed as she watched his face turn from surprised to curious.

"Fate is lazy and cowardly. It is only accepted by the weak minded because they have already given up hope. Destiny is the good fight. It means being strong and challenging your Fate, changing it. When you get up everyday and keep fighting no matter how easy it would be to do nothing - that is destiny. Those who do nothing, must live with their Fate. I watch you push yourself beyond control and fight hard everyday on the battlefield to change mission outcomes from a 1 estimated success to a 99, but when it comes to your life you just accept it – give up. **Why can't you see they are the same thing - saving a life and saving yours, Naze Ka (10)?! Do not be the bird in the cage!**"

By the end of her speech Tenten's eyes were filled with desperate, unshed tears and her voice had risen to a shout. She stood there panting, her fists clenched at her sides - the nails on her fingers digging into her palms so hard that they drew blood. Neji 's body was utterly still, as if he were on recon mission, trapped in the moment – his mouth in the shape of a small "O" and his shining eyes huge . And then, for the first time in all the years Tenten had known Neji, his face broke out into a genuine smile. Not a smirk. Not a sneer. Not the arrogant pursing of the lips that she was so familiar with – a real _smile._ At the sight she collapsed with relief into a fit of uncontrollable giggles both at the oddity of the occurrence and at the sheer _goodness _of it. Her laughter sparked the beginnings of a chuckle buried deep within the Hyuuga boy as well and soon it transformed into a full blown belt of laughter that shook his whole frame. The Kunoichi stopped suddenly at the sound and stared in wonder as she experienced another first in all of ten seconds.

"Wait till' I tell Lee you _smiled and laughed_, he has been trying to make you laugh at his antics since we were old enough to throw a kunai fifteen paces and I got to you to by calling you cowardly and weak minded."

Neji's hearty chuckles ceased immediately and his eyes narrowed into slits as he tried to pierce her with his gaze. _'Man if looks could kill…' _

"Hn…"

Tenten groaned slightly at his word choice for it seemed like most of what he said (when he on the rare occasion, did grace the world with his speech) consisted of noises and that infernal word. _'Hn…I mean what kind of word is that!? And he has like ten different meanings behind each one too!_

"If you so much as even think about telling that fool I will take all of your beloved weapons and hide them so you will have to go all the way to Gaara in Suna before you recover them all."

'_So it was number eight – the threatening "Hn" - she should have known…' _Tenten sweat dropped and waited until he had turned his back to stick her tongue out childishly at him. '_Dame da!' (11)_ He spun back around flinging the sharp object she had tried to hit him with before. She caught it effortlessly hiding it once again in her training outfit. _'Damn that Neji and his 360 degree eyesight…' _

"Shouldn't you be getting home now? It's rather late and I still expect you here at dawn tomorrow for our spar."

Although the phrase appeared to be dismissive she knew better. There were new elements to his voice now. Barely concealed concern for her well-being and… a newfound respect? _'Could she have finally gotten through to her best friend?' 'Arigatou (12) Neji-kun.' _Tenten smacked a hand to her head as if she had just noticed the time to cover up her the lapse in her response.

"Oh no I still have to stop by the Ichiraku and make sure Lee didn't get drunk again!"

Neji rolled his eyes but smirked. She was still as forgetful as ever. She gathered all of her various weapons up off the ground along with her hiate band and rushed to the end of the clearing. Halfway there the girl turned and waved back at him.

"Bye Neji! See you tomorrow! _Please_ think about what I said. Onegai! (13) I want you to be free!"

Byakugan activated eyes watched Tenten until she safely reached the paved road leading into the village. _I want you to be free! _Her voice echoed in his mind. He crouched into one of his fighting stances and stared just over the tree tops back dropped by the silver moon.

**"Byakugan!"**

A powerful yell resonated off the tree trunks and shook birds from their nests.

**"One, Two, Three, Four, Five…Six!"**

"So desu ka…" (14)

Hyuuga Neji, the Prodigy, the Caged Bird, whichever name you choose he is still human. And this human_ is_ going to fight his fate and make his own destiny even if it meant being "some impossible factor".

"_Destiny…"_

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Damaru Onna – Be silent; (onna means woman)

Ningen – human

Yameru – Enough! (condescending)

Nani – What!

Hidoi – How rude ("how terrible" depending on usage)

Neji no baka – Neji you idiot! (can also mean stupid or silly)

Oi, daijobu – Hey, are you alright?

Ano, hai – um…yes

Kami – God

Naze Ka – Why?

Dame da – bad or bad idea (can also be used to tell someone stop!)

Arigatou – Thank you

Onegai – please

So desu ka – I see… or is that so?

Thanks for reading everybody! Now if you would be so kind as to review? I would really appreciate some constructive criticism or comments on my story since it is my first one. I love Neji and Tenten so much they are so Kawaii! Anyway plz no flames or requests for a longer story (assuming that it wasn't total garbage) because I'm only starting out with oneshots. Now for you Japanese challenged shippers the glossary is directly above. Although I really didn't use anything that wasn't common in fanfiction. Ja ne everyone Thanks again! Press the little button  you know u want to! lol


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